Now herkne the Philosophie.He which departeth dai fro nyht,That on derk and that other lyht,Of sevene daies made a weke,A Monthe of foure wekes ekeHe hath ordeigned in his lawe,Of Monthes tuelve and ek forthdrawe 960He hath also the longe yeer.And as he sette of his pouerAcordant to the daies sevenePlanetes Sevene upon the hevene,As thou tofore hast herd devise,To speke riht in such a wise,To every Monthe be himselveUpon the hevene of Signes tuelveHe hath after his OrdinalAssigned on in special, 970Wherof, so as I schal rehersen,The tydes of the yer diversen.Bot pleinly forto make it knoweHou that the Signes sitte arowe,Ech after other be degreIn substance and in propreteThe zodiaque comprehendethWithinne his cercle, as it appendeth.The ferste of whiche nathelesBe name is cleped Aries, 980Which lich a wether of statureResembled is in his figure.And as it seith in Almageste,Of Sterres tuelve upon this besteBen set, wherof in his degreThe wombe hath tuo, the heved hath thre,The Tail hath sevene, and in this wise,As thou myht hiere me divise,Stant Aries, which hot and dryeIs of himself, and in partie 990He is the receipte and the housOf myhty Mars the bataillous.And overmore ek, as I finde,The creatour of alle kindeUpon this Signe ferst beganThe world, whan that he made man.And of this constellaciounThe verray operaciounAvaileth, if a man therinneThe pourpos of his werk beginne; 1000For thanne he hath of propreteGood sped and gret felicite.The tuelve Monthes of the yeerAttitled under the pouerOf these tuelve Signes stonde;Wherof that thou schalt understondeThis Aries on of the tuelveHath March attitled for himselve,Whan every bridd schal chese his make,And every neddre and every Snake 1010And every Reptil which mai moeve,His myht assaieth forto proeve,To crepen out ayein the Sonne,Whan Ver his Seson hath begonne.Taurus the seconde after thisOf Signes, which figured isUnto a Bole, is dreie and cold;And as it is in bokes told,He is the hous appourtienantTo Venus, somdiel descordant. 1020This Bole is ek with sterres set,Thurgh whiche he hath hise hornes knetUnto the tail of Aries,So is he noght ther sterreles.Upon his brest ek eyhtetieneHe hath, and ek, as it is sene,Upon his tail stonde othre tuo.His Monthe assigned ek alsoIs Averil, which of his schouresMinistreth weie unto the floures. 1030The thridde signe is Gemini,Which is figured redelyLich to tuo twinnes of mankinde,That naked stonde; and as I finde,Thei be with Sterres wel bego:The heved hath part of thilke tuoThat schyne upon the boles tail,So be thei bothe of o parail;But on the wombe of GeminiBen fyve sterres noght forthi, 1040And ek upon the feet be tweie,So as these olde bokes seie,That wise Tholomes wrot.His propre Monthe wel I wotAssigned is the lusti Maii,Whanne every brid upon his layAmong the griene leves singeth,And love of his pointure stingethAfter the lawes of natureThe youthe of every creature. 1050Cancer after the reule and spaceOf Signes halt the ferthe place.Like to the crabbe he hath semblance,And hath unto his retienanceSextiene sterres, wherof ten,So as these olde wise menDescrive, he berth on him tofore,And in the middel tuo be bore,And foure he hath upon his ende.Thus goth he sterred in his kende, 1060And of himself is moiste and cold,And is the propre hous and holdWhich appartieneth to the Mone,And doth what longeth him to done.The Monthe of Juin unto this SigneThou schalt after the reule assigne.The fifte Signe is Leo hote,Whos kinde is schape dreie and hote,In whom the Sonne hath herbergage.And the semblance of his ymage 1070Is a leoun, which in baillieOf sterres hath his pourpartie:The foure, which as Cancer hathUpon his ende, Leo tathUpon his heved, and thanne nestHe hath ek foure upon his brest,And on upon his tail behinde,In olde bokes as we finde.His propre Monthe is Juyl be name,In which men pleien many a game. 1080After Leo Virgo the nexteOf Signes cleped is the sexte,Wherof the figure is a Maide;And as the Philosophre saide,Sche is the welthe and the risinge,The lust, the joie and the likingeUnto Mercurie: and soth to seieSche is with sterres wel beseie,Wherof Leo hath lent hire on,Which sit on hih hir heved upon, 1090Hire wombe hath fyve, hir feet alsoHave other fyve: and overmoTouchende as of complexion,Be kindly disposicionOf dreie and cold this Maiden is.And forto tellen over thisHir Monthe, thou schalt understonde,Whan every feld hath corn in hondeAnd many a man his bak hath plied,Unto this Signe is Augst applied. 1100After Virgo to reknen eveneLibra sit in the nombre of sevene,Which hath figure and resemblanceUnto a man which a balanceBerth in his hond as forto weie:In boke and as it mai be seie,Diverse sterres to him longeth,Wherof on hevede he underfongethFerst thre, and ek his wombe hath tuo,And doun benethe eighte othre mo. 1110This Signe is hot and moiste bothe,The whiche thinges be noght lotheUnto Venus, so that alofteSche resteth in his hous fulofte,And ek Saturnus often hyedIs in this Signe and magnefied.His propre Monthe is seid Septembre,Which yifth men cause to remembre,If eny Sor be left behindeOf thing which grieve mai to kinde. 1120Among the Signes upon heighteThe Signe which is nombred eighteIs Scorpio, which as felounFigured is a Scorpioun.Bot for al that yit nathelesIs Scorpio noght sterreles;For Libra granteth him his endeOf eighte sterres, wher he wende,The whiche upon his heved assisedHe berth, and ek ther ben divised 1130Upon his wombe sterres thre,And eighte upon his tail hath he.Which of his kinde is moiste and coldAnd unbehovely manyfold;He harmeth Venus and empeireth,Bot Mars unto his hous repeireth,Bot war whan thei togedre duellen.His propre Monthe is, as men tellen,Octobre, which bringth the kalendeOf wynter, that comth next suiende. 1140The nynthe Signe in nombre also,Which folweth after Scorpio,Is cleped Sagittarius,The whos figure is marked thus,A Monstre with a bowe on honde:On whom that sondri sterres stonde,Thilke eighte of whiche I spak tofore,The whiche upon the tail ben boreOf Scorpio, the heved al faireBespreden of the Sagittaire; 1150And eighte of othre stonden eveneUpon his wombe, and othre seveneTher stonde upon his tail behinde.And he is hot and dreie of kinde:To Jupiter his hous is fre,Bot to Mercurie in his degre,For thei ben noght of on assent,He worcheth gret empeirement.This Signe hath of his propreteA Monthe, which of duete 1160After the sesoun that befallethThe Plowed Oxe in wynter stalleth;And fyr into the halle he bringeth,And thilke drinke of which men singeth,He torneth must into the wyn;Thanne is the larder of the swyn;That is Novembre which I meene,Whan that the lef hath lost his greene.The tenthe Signe dreie and cold,The which is Capricornus told, 1170Unto a Got hath resemblance:For whos love and whos aqueintanceWithinne hise houses to sojorneIt liketh wel unto Satorne,Bot to the Mone it liketh noght,For no profit is there wroght.This Signe as of his propreteUpon his heved hath sterres thre,And ek upon his wombe tuo,And tweie upon his tail also. 1180Decembre after the yeeres forme,So as the bokes ous enforme,With daies schorte and nyhtes longeThis ilke Signe hath underfonge.Of tho that sitte upon the heveneOf Signes in the nombre elleveneAquarius hath take his place,And stant wel in Satornes grace,Which duelleth in his herbergage,Bot to the Sonne he doth oultrage. 1190This Signe is verraily resembledLich to a man which halt assembledIn eyther hand a water spoute,Wherof the stremes rennen oute.He is of kinde moiste and hot,And he that of the sterres wotSeith that he hath of sterres tuoUpon his heved, and ben of thoThat Capricorn hath on his ende;And as the bokes maken mende, 1200That Tholomes made himselve,He hath ek on his wombe tuelve,And tweie upon his ende stonde.Thou schalt also this understonde,The frosti colde Janever,Whan comen is the newe yeer,That Janus with his double faceIn his chaiere hath take his placeAnd loketh upon bothe sides,Somdiel toward the wynter tydes, 1210Somdiel toward the yeer suiende,That is the Monthe belongendeUnto this Signe, and of his doleHe yifth the ferste Primerole.The tuelfthe, which is last of alleOf Signes, Piscis men it calle,The which, as telleth the scripture,Berth of tuo fisshes the figure.So is he cold and moiste of kinde,And ek with sterres, as I finde, 1220Beset in sondri wise, as thus:Tuo of his ende AquariusHath lent unto his heved, and tuoThis Signe hath of his oghne alsoUpon his wombe, and over thisUpon his ende also ther isA nombre of twenty sterres bryghte,Which is to sen a wonder sighte.Toward this Signe into his housComth Jupiter the glorious, 1230And Venus ek with him acordethTo duellen, as the bok recordeth.The Monthe unto this Signe ordeinedIs Februer, which is bereined,And with londflodes in his rageAt Fordes letteth the passage.Nou hast thou herd the propreteOf Signes, bot in his degreAlbumazar yit over thisSeith, so as therthe parted is 1240In foure, riht so ben divisedThe Signes tuelve and stonde assised,That ech of hem for his partieHath his climat to justefie.Wherof the ferste regimentToward the part of OrientFrom Antioche and that contreGoverned is of Signes thre,That is Cancer, Virgo, Leo:And toward Occident also 1250From Armenie, as I am lerned,Of Capricorn it stant governed,Of Pisces and Aquarius:And after hem I finde thus,Southward from Alisandre forthTho Signes whiche most ben worthIn governance of that doaire,Libra thei ben and SagittaireWith Scorpio, which is conjointWith hem to stonde upon that point: 1260Constantinople the Cite,So as the bokes tellen me,The laste of this divisionStant untoward Septemtrion,Wher as be weie of pourveanceHath Aries the governanceForth with Taurus and Gemini.Thus ben the Signes propreliDivided, as it is reherced,Wherof the londes ben diversed. 1270Lo thus, mi Sone, as thou myht hiere,Was Alisandre mad to liereOf hem that weren for his lore.But nou to loken overmore,Of othre sterres hou thei fareI thenke hierafter to declare,So as king Alisandre in youtheOf him that suche thinges coutheEnformed was tofore his yheBe nyhte upon the sterres hihe. 1280Upon sondri creacionStant sondri operacion,Som worcheth this, som worcheth that;The fyr is hot in his astatAnd brenneth what he mai atteigne,The water mai the fyr restreigne,The which is cold and moist also.Of other thing it farth riht soUpon this erthe among ous here;And forto speke in this manere, 1290Upon the hevene, as men mai finde,The sterres ben of sondri kindeAnd worchen manye sondri thingesTo ous, that ben here underlinges.Among the whiche forth withalNectanabus in special,Which was an AstronomienAnd ek a gret Magicien,And undertake hath thilke empriseTo Alisandre in his aprise 1300As of Magique naturelTo knowe, enformeth him somdelOf certein sterres what thei mene;Of whiche, he seith, ther ben fiftene,And sondrily to everich onA gras belongeth and a Ston,Wherof men worchen many a wonderTo sette thing bothe up and under.To telle riht as he began,The ferste sterre Aldeboran, 1310The cliereste and the moste of alle,Be rihte name men it calle;Which lich is of condicionTo Mars, and of complexionTo Venus, and hath theruponCarbunculum his propre Ston:His herbe is Anabulla named,Which is of gret vertu proclamed.The seconde is noght vertules;Clota or elles Pliades 1320It hatte, and of the mones kindeHe is, and also this I finde,He takth of Mars complexion:And lich to such condicionHis Ston appropred is Cristall,And ek his herbe in specialThe vertuous Fenele it is.The thridde, which comth after this,Is hote Algol the clere rede,Which of Satorne, as I may rede, 1330His kinde takth, and ek of JoveComplexion to his behove.His propre Ston is Dyamant,Which is to him most acordant;His herbe, which is him betake,Is hote Eleborum the blake.So as it falleth upon lot,The ferthe sterre is Alhaiot,Which in the wise as I seide erOf Satorne and of Jupiter 1340Hath take his kinde; and theruponThe Saphir is his propre Ston,Marrubium his herbe also,The whiche acorden bothe tuo.And Canis maior in his likeThe fifte sterre is of Magique,The whos kinde is venerien,As seith this Astronomien.His propre Ston is seid Berille,Bot forto worche and to fulfille 1350Thing which to this science falleth,Ther is an herbe which men callethSaveine, and that behoveth nedeTo him that wole his pourpos spede.The sexte suiende after thisBe name Canis minor is;The which sterre is MercurialBe weie of kinde, and forth withal,As it is writen in the carte,Complexion he takth of Marte. 1360His Ston and herbe, as seith the Scole,Ben Achates and Primerole.The sefnthe sterre in specialOf this science is Arial,Which sondri nature underfongeth.The Ston which propre unto him longeth,Gorgonza proprely it hihte:His herbe also, which he schal rihteUpon the worchinge as I mene,Is Celidoine freissh and grene. 1370Sterre Ala Corvi upon heihteHath take his place in nombre of eighte,Which of his kinde mot parforneThe will of Marte and of Satorne:To whom Lapacia the greteIs herbe, bot of no beyete;His Ston is Honochinus hote,Thurgh which men worchen gret riote.The nynthe sterre faire and welBe name is hote Alaezel, 1380Which takth his propre kinde thusBothe of Mercurie and of Venus.His Ston is the grene Amyraude,To whom is yoven many a laude:Salge is his herbe appourtenantAboven al the rememant.The tenthe sterre is Almareth,Which upon lif and upon dethThurgh kinde of Jupiter and MartHe doth what longeth to his part. 1390His Ston is Jaspe, and of PlanteineHe hath his herbe sovereine.The sterre ellefthe is Venenas,The whos nature is as it wasTake of Venus and of the Mone,In thing which he hath forto done.Of Adamant is that perrieIn which he worcheth his maistrie;Thilke herbe also which him befalleth,Cicorea the bok it calleth. 1400Alpheta in the nombre sit,And is the twelfthe sterre yit;Of Scorpio which is governed,And takth his kinde, as I am lerned;And hath his vertu in the StonWhich cleped is Topazion:His herbe propre is Rosmarine,Which schapen is for his covine.Of these sterres, whiche I mene,Cor Scorpionis is thritiene; 1410The whos nature Mart and JoveHave yoven unto his behove.His herbe is Aristologie,Which folweth his Astronomie:The Ston which that this sterre alloweth,Is Sardis, which unto him boweth.The sterre which stant next the laste,Nature on him this name casteAnd clepeth him Botercadent;Which of his kinde obedient 1420Is to Mercurie and to Venus.His Ston is seid Crisolitus,His herbe is cleped Satureie,So as these olde bokes seie.Bot nou the laste sterre of alleThe tail of Scorpio men calle,Which to Mercurie and to SatorneBe weie of kinde mot retorneAfter the preparacionOf due constellacion. 1430The Calcedoine unto him longeth,Which for his Ston he underfongeth;Of Majorane his herbe is grounded.Thus have I seid hou thei be founded,Of every sterre in special,Which hath his herbe and Ston withal,As Hermes in his bokes oldeWitnesse berth of that I tolde.The science of Astronomie,Which principal is of clergie 1440To dieme betwen wo and welIn thinges that be naturel,Thei hadde a gret travail on hondeThat made it ferst ben understonde;And thei also which overmoreHere studie sette upon this lore,Thei weren gracious and wysAnd worthi forto bere a pris.And whom it liketh forto witeOf hem that this science write, 1450On of the ferste which it wrotAfter Noe5, it was Nembrot,To his disciple YchonithonAnd made a bok forth theruponThe which Megaster cleped was.An other Auctor in this casIs Arachel, the which men note;His bok is Abbategnyh hote.Danz Tholome is noght the leste,Which makth the bok of Almageste; 1460And Alfraganus doth the same,Whos bok is Chatemuz be name.Gebuz and Alpetragus ekeOf Planisperie, which men seke,The bokes made: and over thisFul many a worthi clerc ther is,That writen upon this clergieThe bokes of Altemetrie,Planemetrie and ek also,Whiche as belongen bothe tuo, 1470So as thei ben naturiens,Unto these Astronomiens.Men sein that Habraham was on;Bot whether that he wrot or non,That finde I noght; and Moi5sesEk was an other: bot HermesAbove alle othre in this scienceHe hadde a gret experience;Thurgh him was many a sterre assised,Whos bokes yit ben auctorized. 1480I mai noght knowen alle thoThat writen in the time thoOf this science; bot I finde,Of jugement be weie of kindeThat in o point thei alle acorden:Of sterres whiche thei recordenThat men mai sen upon the hevene,Ther ben a thousend sterres eveneAnd tuo and twenty, to the syhteWhiche aren of hemself so bryhte, 1490That men mai dieme what thei be,The nature and the proprete.Nou hast thou herd, in which a wiseThese noble Philosophres wiseEnformeden this yonge king,And made him have a knowlechingOf thing which ferst to the partieBelongeth of Philosophie,Which Theorique cleped is,As thou tofore hast herd er this. 1500Bot nou to speke of the secounde,Which Aristotle hath also founde,And techeth hou to speke faire,Which is a thing full necessaireTo contrepeise the balance,Wher lacketh other sufficance.Above alle erthli creaturesThe hihe makere of naturesThe word to man hath yove alone,So that the speche of his persone, 1510Or forto lese or forto winne,The hertes thoght which is withinneMai schewe, what it wolde mene;And that is noghwhere elles seneOf kinde with non other beste.So scholde he be the more honeste,To whom god yaf so gret a yifte,And loke wel that he ne schifteHise wordes to no wicked us;For word the techer of vertus 1520Is cleped in Philosophie.Wherof touchende this partie,Is Rethorique the scienceAppropred to the reverenceOf wordes that ben resonable:And for this art schal be vailableWith goodli wordes forto like,It hath Gramaire, it hath Logiqe,That serven bothe unto the speche.Gramaire ferste hath forto teche 1530To speke upon congruite:Logique hath eke in his degreBetwen the trouthe and the falshodeThe pleine wordes forto schode,So that nothing schal go beside,That he the riht ne schal decide.Wherof full many a gret debatReformed is to good astat,And pes sustiened up alofteWith esy wordes and with softe, 1540Wher strengthe scholde lete it falle.The Philosophre amonges alleForthi commendeth this science,Which hath the reule of eloquence.In Ston and gras vertu ther is,Bot yit the bokes tellen this,That word above alle erthli thingesIs vertuous in his doinges,Wher so it be to evele or goode.For if the wordes semen goode 1550And ben wel spoke at mannes Ere,Whan that ther is no trouthe there,Thei don fulofte gret deceipte;For whan the word to the conceipteDescordeth in so double a wise,Such Rethorique is to despiseIn every place, and forto drede.For of Uluxes thus I rede,As in the bok of Troie is founde,His eloquence and his facounde 1560Of goodly wordes whiche he tolde,Hath mad that Anthenor him soldeThe toun, which he with tresoun wan.Word hath beguiled many a man;With word the wilde beste is daunted,With word the Serpent is enchaunted,Of word among the men of ArmesBen woundes heeled with the charmes,Wher lacketh other medicine;Word hath under his discipline 1570Of Sorcerie the karectes.The wordes ben of sondri sectes,Of evele and eke of goode also;The wordes maken frend of fo,And fo of frend, and pes of werre,And werre of pes, and out of herreThe word this worldes cause entriketh,And reconsileth whan him liketh.The word under the coupe of heveneSet every thing or odde or evene; 1580With word the hihe god is plesed,With word the wordes ben appesed,The softe word the loude stilleth;Wher lacketh good, the word fulfilleth,To make amendes for the wrong;Whan wordes medlen with the song,It doth plesance wel the more.Bot forto loke upon the loreHou Tullius his RethoriqueComponeth, ther a man mai pike 1590Hou that he schal hise wordes sette,Hou he schal lose, hou he schal knette,And in what wise he schal pronounceHis tale plein withoute frounce.Wherof ensample if thou wolt seche,Tak hiede and red whilom the specheOf Julius and Cithero,Which consul was of Rome tho,Of Catoun eke and of Cillene,Behold the wordes hem betwene, 1600Whan the tresoun of CatelineDescoevered was, and the covineOf hem that were of his assentWas knowe and spoke in parlement,And axed hou and in what wiseMen scholde don hem to juise.Cillenus ferst his tale tolde,To trouthe and as he was beholde,The comun profit forto save,He seide hou tresoun scholde have 1610A cruel deth; and thus thei spieke,The Consul bothe and Catoun eke,And seiden that for such a wrongTher mai no peine be to strong.Bot Julius with wordes wiseHis tale tolde al otherwise,As he which wolde her deth respite,And fondeth hou he mihte exciteThe jugges thurgh his eloquenceFro deth to torne the sentence 1620And sette here hertes to pite.Nou tolden thei, nou tolde he;Thei spieken plein after the lawe,Bot he the wordes of his saweColoureth in an other weieSpekende, and thus betwen the tweie,To trete upon this juggement,Made ech of hem his Argument.Wherof the tales forto hiere,Ther mai a man the Scole liere 1630Of Rethoriqes eloquences,Which is the secounde of sciencesTouchende to Philosophie;Wherof a man schal justifieHise wordes in disputeisoun,And knette upon conclusiounHis Argument in such a forme,Which mai the pleine trouthe enformeAnd the soubtil cautele abate,Which every trewman schal debate. 1640The ferste, which is Theorique,And the secounde Rethorique,Sciences of Philosophie,I have hem told as in partie,So as the Philosophre it toldeTo Alisandre: and nou I woldeTelle of the thridde what it is,The which Practique cleped is.Practique stant upon thre thingesToward the governance of kinges; 1650Wherof the ferst Etique is named,The whos science stant proclamedTo teche of vertu thilke reule,Hou that a king himself schal reuleOf his moral condicionWith worthi disposicionOf good livinge in his persone,Which is the chief of his corone.It makth a king also to lerneHou he his bodi schal governe, 1660Hou he schal wake, hou he schal slepe,Hou that he schal his hele kepeIn mete, in drinke, in clothinge eke:Ther is no wisdom forto sekeAs for the reule of his persone,The which that this science al oneNe techeth as be weie of kinde,That ther is nothing left behinde.That other point which to PractiqueBelongeth is Iconomique, 1670Which techeth thilke honesteteThurgh which a king in his degreHis wif and child schal reule and guie,So forth with al the companieWhich in his houshold schal abyde,And his astat on every sydeIn such manere forto lede,That he his houshold ne mislede.Practique hath yit the thridde aprise,Which techeth hou and in what wise 1680Thurgh hih pourveied ordinanceA king schal sette in governanceHis Realme, and that is Policie,Which longeth unto RegalieIn time of werre, in time of pes,To worschipe and to good encressOf clerk, of kniht and of Marchant,And so forth of the remenantOf al the comun poeple aboute,Withinne Burgh and ek withoute, 1690Of hem that ben Artificiers,Whiche usen craftes and mestiers,Whos Art is cleped Mechanique.And though thei ben noght alle like,Yit natheles, hou so it falle,O lawe mot governe hem alle,Or that thei lese or that thei winne,After thastat that thei ben inne.Lo, thus this worthi yonge kingWas fulli tauht of every thing, 1700Which mihte yive entendementOf good reule and good regimentTo such a worthi Prince as he.Bot of verray necessiteThe Philosophre him hath betakeFyf pointz, whiche he hath undertakeTo kepe and holde in observance,As for the worthi governanceWhich longeth to his Regalie,After the reule of Policie. 1710To every man behoveth lore,Bot to noman belongeth moreThan to a king, which hath to ledeThe poeple; for of his kinghedeHe mai hem bothe save and spille.And for it stant upon his wille,It sit him wel to ben avised,And the vertus whiche are assissedUnto a kinges Regiment,To take in his entendement: 1720Wherof to tellen, as thei stonde,Hierafterward nou woll I fonde.Among the vertus on is chief,And that is trouthe, which is liefTo god and ek to man also.And for it hath ben evere so,Tawhte Aristotle, as he wel couthe,To Alisandre, hou in his youtheHe scholde of trouthe thilke graceWith al his hole herte embrace, 1730So that his word be trewe and plein,Toward the world and so certeinThat in him be no double speche:For if men scholde trouthe secheAnd founde it noght withinne a king,It were an unsittende thing.The word is tokne of that withinne,Ther schal a worthi king beginneTo kepe his tunge and to be trewe,So schal his pris ben evere newe. 1740Avise him every man tofore,And be wel war, er he be swore,For afterward it is to late,If that he wole his word debate.For as a king in specialAbove alle othre is principalOf his pouer, so scholde he beMost vertuous in his degre;And that mai wel be signefiedBe his corone and specified. 1750The gold betokneth excellence,That men schull don him reverenceAs to here liege soverein.The Stones, as the bokes sein,Commended ben in treble wise:Ferst thei ben harde, and thilke assisseBetokneth in a king Constance,So that ther schal no varianceBe founde in his condicion;And also be descripcion 1760The vertu which is in the stonesA verrai Signe is for the nonesOf that a king schal ben honesteAnd holde trewly his behesteOf thing which longeth to kinghede:The bryhte colour, as I rede,Which in the stones is schynende,Is in figure betoknendeThe Cronique of this worldes fame,Which stant upon his goode name. 1770The cercle which is round abouteIs tokne of al the lond withoute,Which stant under his Gerarchie,That he it schal wel kepe and guye.And for that trouthe, hou so it falle,Is the vertu soverein of alle,That longeth unto regiment,A tale, which is evidentOf trouthe in comendacioun,Toward thin enformacion, 1780Mi Sone, hierafter thou schalt hiereOf a Cronique in this matiere.As the Cronique it doth reherce,A Soldan whilom was of Perce,Which Daires hihte, and YtaspisHis fader was; and soth it isThat thurgh wisdom and hih prudenceMor than for eny reverenceOf his lignage as be descenteThe regne of thilke empire he hente: 1790And as he was himselve wys,The wisemen he hield in prisAnd soghte hem oute on every side,That toward him thei scholde abide.Among the whiche thre ther wereThat most service unto him bere,As thei which in his chambre lyhenAnd al his conseil herde and syhen.Here names ben of strange note,Arpaghes was the ferste hote, 1800And Manachaz was the secounde,Zorobabel, as it is foundeIn the Cronique, was the thridde.This Soldan, what so him betidde,To hem he triste most of alle,Wherof the cas is so befalle:This lord, which hath conceiptes depe,Upon a nyht whan he hath slepe,As he which hath his wit desposed,Touchende a point hem hath opposed. 1810The kinges question was this;Of thinges thre which strengest is,The wyn, the womman or the king:And that thei scholde upon this thingOf here ansuere avised be,He yaf hem fulli daies thre,And hath behote hem be his feithThat who the beste reson seith,He schal receive a worthi mede.Upon this thing thei token hiede 1820And stoden in desputeison,That be diverse opinionOf Argumentz that thei have holdeArpaghes ferst his tale tolde,And seide hou that the strengthe of kingesIs myhtiest of alle thinges.For king hath pouer over man,And man is he which reson can,As he which is of his natureThe moste noble creature 1830Of alle tho that god hath wroght:And be that skile it semeth noght,He seith, that eny erthly thingMai be so myhty as a king.A king mai spille, a king mai save,A king mai make of lord a knaveAnd of a knave a lord also:The pouer of a king stant so,That he the lawes overpasseth;What he wol make lasse, he lasseth, 1840What he wol make more, he moreth;And as the gentil faucon soreth,He fleth, that noman him reclameth;Bot he al one alle othre tameth,And stant himself of lawe fre.Lo, thus a kinges myht, seith he,So as his reson can argue,Is strengest and of most value.Bot Manachaz seide otherwise,That wyn is of the more emprise; 1850And that he scheweth be this weie.The wyn fulofte takth aweieThe reson fro the mannes herte;The wyn can make a krepel sterte,And a delivere man unwelde;It makth a blind man to behelde,And a bryht yhed seme derk;It makth a lewed man a clerk,And fro the clerkes the clergieIt takth aweie, and couardie 1860It torneth into hardiesse;Of Avarice it makth largesse.The wyn makth ek the goode blod,In which the Soule which is goodHath chosen hire a resting place,Whil that the lif hir wole embrace.And be this skile ManachasAnsuered hath upon this cas,And seith that wyn be weie of kindeIs thing which mai the hertes binde 1870Wel more than the regalie.Zorobabel for his partieSeide, as him thoghte for the beste,That wommen ben the myhtieste.The king and the vinour alsoOf wommen comen bothe tuo;And ek he seide hou that manhedeThurgh strengthe unto the wommanhedeOf love, wher he wole or non,Obeie schal; and therupon, 1880To schewe of wommen the maistrie,A tale which he syh with yheAs for ensample he tolde this,-Hou Apemen, of BesazisWhich dowhter was, in the paleisSittende upon his hihe deis,Whan he was hotest in his ireToward the grete of his empire,Cirus the king tirant sche tok,And only with hire goodly lok 1890Sche made him debonaire and meke,And be the chyn and be the chekeSche luggeth him riht as hir liste,That nou sche japeth, nou sche kiste,And doth with him what evere hir liketh;Whan that sche loureth, thanne he siketh,And whan sche gladeth, he is glad:And thus this king was overladWith hire which his lemman was.Among the men is no solas, 1900If that ther be no womman there;For bot if that the wommen were,This worldes joie were aweie:Thurgh hem men finden out the weieTo knihthode and to worldes fame;Thei make a man to drede schame,And honour forto be desired:Thurgh the beaute of hem is fyredThe Dart of which Cupide throweth,Wherof the jolif peine groweth, 1910Which al the world hath under fote.A womman is the mannes bote,His lif, his deth, his wo, his wel;And this thing mai be schewed wel,Hou that wommen ben goode and kinde,For in ensample this I finde.Whan that the duk Ametus laySek in his bedd, that every dayMen waiten whan he scholde deie,Alceste his wif goth forto preie, 1920As sche which wolde thonk deserve,With Sacrifice unto Minerve,To wite ansuere of the goddesseHou that hir lord of his seknesse,Wherof he was so wo besein,Recovere myhte his hele ayein.Lo, thus sche cride and thus sche preide,Til ate laste a vois hir seide,That if sche wolde for his sakeThe maladie soffre and take, 1930And deie hirself, he scholde live.Of this ansuere Alceste hath yiveUnto Minerve gret thonkinge,So that hir deth and his livingeSche ches with al hire hole entente,And thus acorded hom sche wente.Into the chambre and whan sche cam,Hire housebonde anon sche namIn bothe hire Armes and him kiste,And spak unto him what hire liste; 1940And therupon withinne a throweThis goode wif was overthroweAnd deide, and he was hool in haste.So mai a man be reson taste,Hou next after the god aboveThe trouthe of wommen and the love,In whom that alle grace is founde,Is myhtiest upon this groundeAnd most behovely manyfold.Lo, thus Zorobabel hath told 1950The tale of his opinion:Bot for final conclusionWhat strengest is of erthli thinges,The wyn, the wommen or the kinges,He seith that trouthe above hem alleIs myhtiest, hou evere it falle.The trouthe, hou so it evere come,Mai for nothing ben overcome;It mai wel soffre for a throwe,Bot ate laste it schal be knowe. 1960The proverbe is, who that is trewe,Him schal his while nevere rewe:For hou so that the cause wende,The trouthe is schameles ate ende,Bot what thing that is troutheles,It mai noght wel be schameles,And schame hindreth every wyht:So proveth it, ther is no myhtWithoute trouthe in no degre.And thus for trouthe of his decre 1970Zorobabel was most commended,Wherof the question was ended,And he resceived hath his medeFor trouthe, which to mannes nedeIs most behoveliche overal.Forthi was trouthe in specialThe ferste point in observanceBetake unto the governanceOf Alisandre, as it is seid:For therupon the ground is leid 1980Of every kinges regiment,As thing which most convenientIs forto sette a king in eveneBothe in this world and ek in hevene.Next after trouthe the secounde,In Policie as it is founde,Which serveth to the worldes fameIn worschipe of a kinges name,Largesse it is, whos privileggeTher mai non Avarice abregge. 1990The worldes good was ferst comune,Bot afterward upon fortuneWas thilke comun profit cessed:For whan the poeple stod encrescedAnd the lignages woxen grete,Anon for singulier beyeteDrouh every man to his partie;Wherof cam in the ferste envieWith gret debat and werres stronge,And laste among the men so longe, 2000Til noman wiste who was who,Ne which was frend ne which was fo.Til ate laste in every londWithinne hemself the poeple fondThat it was good to make a king,Which mihte appesen al this thingAnd yive riht to the lignagesIn partinge of here heritagesAnd ek of al here other good;And thus above hem alle stod 2010The king upon his Regalie,As he which hath to justifieThe worldes good fro covoitise.So sit it wel in alle wiseA king betwen the more and lesseTo sette his herte upon largesseToward himself and ek alsoToward his poeple; and if noght so,That is to sein, if that he beToward himselven large and fre 2020And of his poeple take and pile,Largesse be no weie of skileIt mai be seid, bot Avarice,Which in a king is a gret vice.A king behoveth ek to fleThe vice of Prodegalite,That he mesure in his expenceSo kepe, that of indigenceHe mai be sauf: for who that nedeth,In al his werk the worse he spedeth. 2030As Aristotle upon ChaldeeEnsample of gret AuctoriteUnto king Alisandre tauhteOf thilke folk that were unsauhteToward here king for his pilage:Wherof he bad, in his corageThat he unto thre pointz entende,Wher that he wolde his good despende.Ferst scholde he loke, hou that it stod,That al were of his oghne good 2040The yiftes whiche he wolde yive;So myhte he wel the betre live:And ek he moste taken hiedeIf ther be cause of eny nede,Which oghte forto be defended,Er that his goodes be despended:He mot ek, as it is befalle,Amonges othre thinges alleSe the decertes of his men;And after that thei ben of ken 2050And of astat and of merite,He schal hem largeliche aquite,Or for the werre, or for the pes,That non honour falle in descres,Which mihte torne into defame,Bot that he kepe his goode name,So that he be noght holde unkinde.For in Cronique a tale I finde,Which spekth somdiel of this matiere,Hierafterward as thou schalt hiere. 2060In Rome, to poursuie his riht,Ther was a worthi povere kniht,Which cam al one forto seinHis cause, when the court was plein,Wher Julius was in presence.And for him lacketh of despence,Ther was with him non advocatTo make ple for his astat.Bot thogh him lacke forto plede,Him lacketh nothing of manhede; 2070He wiste wel his pours was povere,Bot yit he thoghte his riht recovere,And openly poverte alleide,To themperour and thus he seide:"O Julius, lord of the lawe,Behold, mi conseil is withdraweFor lacke of gold: do thin officeAfter the lawes of justice:Help that I hadde conseil hiereUpon the trouthe of mi matiere." 2080And Julius with that anonAssigned him a worthi on,Bot he himself no word ne spak.This kniht was wroth and fond a lakIn themperour, and seide thus:"O thou unkinde Julius,Whan thou in thi bataille wereUp in Aufrique, and I was there,Mi myht for thi rescousse I dedeAnd putte noman in my stede, 2090Thou wost what woundes ther I hadde:Bot hier I finde thee so badde,That thee ne liste speke o wordThin oghne mouth, nor of thin hordTo yive a florin me to helpe.Hou scholde I thanne me beyelpeFro this dai forth of thi largesse,Whan such a gret unkindenesseIs founde in such a lord as thou?"This Julius knew wel ynou 2100That al was soth which he him tolde;And for he wolde noght ben holdeUnkinde, he tok his cause on honde,And as it were of goddes sonde,He yaf him good ynouh to spendeFor evere into his lives ende.And thus scholde every worthi kingTake of his knihtes knowleching,Whan that he syh thei hadden nede,For every service axeth mede: 2110Bot othre, which have noght deservedThurgh vertu, bot of japes served,A king schal noght deserve grace,Thogh he be large in such a place.It sit wel every king to haveDiscrecion, whan men him crave,So that he mai his yifte wite:Wherof I finde a tale write,Hou Cinichus a povere knihtA Somme which was over myht 2120Preide of his king Antigonus.The king ansuerde to him thus,And seide hou such a yifte passethHis povere astat: and thanne he lasseth,And axeth bot a litel peny,If that the king wol yive him eny.The king ansuerde, it was to smalFor him, which was a lord real;To yive a man so litel thingIt were unworschipe in a king. 2130Be this ensample a king mai lereThat forto yive is in manere:For if a king his tresor lassethWithoute honour and thonkles passeth,Whan he himself wol so beguile,I not who schal compleigne his while,Ne who be rihte him schal relieve.Bot natheles this I believe,To helpe with his oghne londBehoveth every man his hond 2140To sette upon necessite;And ek his kinges realteMot every liege man conforte,With good and bodi to supporte,Whan thei se cause resonable:For who that is noght entendableTo holde upriht his kinges name,Him oghte forto be to blame.Of Policie and overmoreTo speke in this matiere more, 2150So as the Philosophre tolde,A king after the reule is holdeTo modifie and to adresceHise yiftes upon such largesceThat he mesure noght excede:For if a king falle into nede,It causeth ofte sondri thingesWhiche are ungoodly to the kinges.What man wol noght himself mesure,Men sen fulofte that mesure 2160Him hath forsake: and so doth heThat useth Prodegalite,Which is the moder of poverte,Wherof the londes ben deserte;And namely whan thilke viceAboute a king stant in officeAnd hath withholde of his partieThe covoitouse flaterie,Which many a worthi king deceiveth,Er he the fallas aperceiveth 2170Of hem that serven to the glose.For thei that cunnen plese and glose,Ben, as men tellen, the norricesUnto the fostringe of the vices,Wherof fulofte nathelesA king is blamed gulteles.A Philosophre, as thou schalt hiere,Spak to a king of this matiere,And seide him wel hou that flatoursCoupable were of thre errours. 2180On was toward the goddes hihe,That weren wrothe of that thei siheThe meschief which befalle scholdeOf that the false flatour tolde.Toward the king an other was,Whan thei be sleihte and be fallasOf feigned wordes make him weneThat blak is whyt and blew is greneTouchende of his condicion:For whanne he doth extorcion 2190With manye an other vice mo,Men schal noght finden on of thoTo groucche or speke therayein,Bot holden up his oil and seinThat al is wel, what evere he doth;And thus of fals thei maken soth,So that here kinges yhe is blentAnd wot not hou the world is went.The thridde errour is harm comune,With which the poeple mot commune 2200Of wronges that thei bringen inne:And thus thei worchen treble sinne,That ben flatours aboute a king.Ther myhte be no worse thingAboute a kinges regalie,Thanne is the vice of flaterie.And natheles it hath ben used,That it was nevere yit refusedAs forto speke in court real;For there it is most special, 2210And mai noght longe be forbore.Bot whan this vice of hem is bore,That scholden the vertus forthbringe,And trouthe is torned to lesinge,It is, as who seith, ayein kinde,Wherof an old ensample I finde.Among these othre tales wiseOf Philosophres, in this wiseI rede, how whilom tuo ther were,And to the Scole forto lere 2220Unto Athenes fro CartageHere frendes, whan thei were of Age,Hem sende; and ther thei stoden longe,Til thei such lore have underfonge,That in here time thei surmonteAlle othre men, that to acompteOf hem was tho the grete fame.The ferste of hem his rihte nameWas Diogenes thanne hote,In whom was founde no riote: 2230His felaw Arisippus hyhte,Which mochel couthe and mochel myhte.Bot ate laste, soth to sein,Thei bothe tornen hom ayeinUnto Cartage and scole lete.This Diogenes no beyeteOf worldes good or lasse or moreNe soghte for his longe lore,Bot tok him only forto duelleAt hom; and as the bokes telle, 2240His hous was nyh to the rivereBesyde a bregge, as thou schalt hiere.Ther duelleth he to take his reste,So as it thoghte him for the beste,To studie in his Philosophie,As he which wolde so defieThe worldes pompe on every syde.Bot Arisippe his bok asideHath leid, and to the court he wente,Wher many a wyle and many a wente 2250With flaterie and wordes softeHe caste, and hath compassed ofteHou he his Prince myhte plese;And in this wise he gat him eseOf vein honour and worldes good.The londes reule upon him stod,The king of him was wonder glad,And all was do, what thing he bad,Bothe in the court and ek withoute.With flaterie he broghte aboute 2260His pourpos of the worldes werk,Which was ayein the stat of clerk,So that Philosophie he lefteAnd to richesse himself uplefte:Lo, thus hadde Arisippe his wille.Bot Diogenes duelte stilleA home and loked on his bok:He soghte noght the worldes crokFor vein honour ne for richesse,Bot all his hertes besinesse 2270He sette to be vertuous;And thus withinne his oghne housHe liveth to the sufficanceOf his havinge. And fell per chance,This Diogene upon a day,And that was in the Monthe of May,Whan that these herbes ben holsome,He walketh forto gadre someIn his gardin, of whiche his joutesHe thoghte have, and thus aboutes 2280Whanne he hath gadred what him liketh,He satte him thanne doun and pyketh,And wyssh his herbes in the flodUpon the which his gardin stod,Nyh to the bregge, as I tolde er.And hapneth, whil he sitteth ther,Cam Arisippes be the streteWith manye hors and routes grete,And straght unto the bregge he rod.Wher that he hoved and abod; 2290For as he caste his yhe nyh,His felaw Diogene he syh,And what he dede he syh also,Wherof he seide to him so:"O Diogene, god thee spede.It were certes litel nedeTo sitte there and wortes pyke,If thou thi Prince couthest lyke,So as I can in my degre.""O Arisippe," ayein quod he, 2300"If that thou couthist, so as I,Thi wortes pyke, trewelyIt were als litel nede or lasse,That thou so worldly wolt compasseWith flaterie forto serve,Wherof thou thenkest to deserveThi princes thonk, and to pourchaceHou thou myht stonden in his grace,For getinge of a litel good.If thou wolt take into thi mod 2310Reson, thou myht be reson deemeThat so thi prince forto queemeIs noght to reson acordant,Bot it is gretly descordantUnto the Scoles of Athene."Lo, thus ansuerde DiogeneAyein the clerkes flaterie.Bot yit men sen thessamplerieOf Arisippe is wel received,And thilke of Diogene is weyved. 2320Office in court and gold in cofreIs nou, men sein, the philosophreWhich hath the worschipe in the halle;Bot flaterie passeth alleIn chambre, whom the court avanceth;For upon thilke lot it chancethTo be beloved nou aday.I not if it be ye or nay,Bot as the comun vois it telleth;Bot wher that flaterie duelleth 2330In eny lond under the Sonne,Ther is ful many a thing begonneWhich were betre to be left;That hath be schewed nou and eft.Bot if a Prince wolde him reuleOf the Romeins after the reule,In thilke time as it was used,This vice scholde be refused,Wherof the Princes ben assoted.Bot wher the pleine trouthe is noted, 2340Ther may a Prince wel conceive,That he schal noght himself deceive,Of that he hiereth wordes pleine;For him thar noght be reson pleigne,That warned is er him be wo.And that was fully proeved tho,Whan Rome was the worldes chief,The Sothseiere tho was lief,Which wolde noght the trouthe spare,Bot with hise wordes pleine and bare 2350To Themperour hise sothes tolde,As in Cronique is yit withholde,Hierafterward as thou schalt hiereAcordende unto this matiere.To se this olde ensamplerie,That whilom was no flaterieToward the Princes wel I finde;Wherof so as it comth to mynde,Mi Sone, a tale unto thin Ere,Whil that the worthi princes were 2360At Rome, I thenke forto tellen.For whan the chances so befellenThat eny Emperour as thoVictoire hadde upon his fo,And so forth cam to Rome ayein,Of treble honour he was certein,Wherof that he was magnefied.The ferste, as it is specefied,Was, whan he cam at thilke tyde,The Charr in which he scholde ryde 2370Foure whyte Stiedes scholden drawe;Of Jupiter be thilke laweThe Cote he scholde were also;Hise prisoners ek scholden goEndlong the Charr on eyther hond,And alle the nobles of the londTofore and after with him comeRidende and broghten him to Rome,In thonk of his chivalerieAnd for non other flaterie. 2380And that was schewed forth withal;Wher he sat in his Charr real,Beside him was a Ribald set,Which hadde hise wordes so beset,To themperour in al his gloireHe seide, "Tak into memoire,For al this pompe and al this prideLet no justice gon aside,Bot know thiself, what so befalle.For men sen ofte time falle 2390Thing which men wende siker stonde:Thogh thou victoire have nou on honde,Fortune mai noght stonde alway;The whiel per chance an other dayMai torne, and thou myht overthrowe;Ther lasteth nothing bot a throwe."With these wordes and with moThis Ribald, which sat with him tho,To Themperour his tale tolde:And overmor what evere he wolde, 2400Or were it evel or were it good,So pleinly as the trouthe stod,He spareth noght, bot spekth it oute;And so myhte every man abouteThe day of that solempneteHis tale telle als wel as heTo Themperour al openly.And al was this the cause why;That whil he stod in that noblesse,He scholde his vanite represse 2410With suche wordes as he herde.Lo nou, hou thilke time it ferdeToward so hih a worthi lord:For this I finde ek of record,Which the Cronique hath auctorized.What Emperour was entronized,The ferste day of his corone,Wher he was in his real ThroneAnd hield his feste in the paleisSittende upon his hihe deis 2420With al the lust that mai be gete,Whan he was gladdest at his mete,And every menstral hadde pleid,And every Disour hadde seidWhat most was plesant to his Ere,Than ate laste comen thereHise Macons, for thei scholden craveWher that he wolde be begrave,And of what Ston his sepultureThei scholden make, and what sculpture 2430He wolde ordeine therupon.Tho was ther flaterie nonThe worthi princes to bejape;The thing was other wise schapeWith good conseil; and otherwiseThei were hemselven thanne wise,And understoden wel and knewen.Whan suche softe wyndes blewenOf flaterie into here Ere,Thei setten noght here hertes there; 2440Bot whan thei herden wordes feigned,The pleine trouthe it hath desdeignedOf hem that weren so discrete.So tok the flatour no beyeteOf him that was his prince tho:And forto proven it is so,A tale which befell in dedeIn a Cronique of Rome I rede.Cesar upon his real throneWher that he sat in his persone 2450And was hyest in al his pris,A man, which wolde make him wys,Fell doun knelende in his presence,And dede him such a reverence,As thogh the hihe god it were:Men hadden gret mervaille thereOf the worschipe which he dede.This man aros fro thilke stede,And forth with al the same tydeHe goth him up and be his side 2460He set him doun as pier and pier,And seide, "If thou that sittest hierArt god, which alle thinges myht,Thanne have I do worshipe arihtAs to the god; and other wise,If thou be noght of thilke assisse,Bot art a man such as am I,Than mai I sitte faste by,For we be bothen of o kinde."Cesar ansuerde and seide, "O blinde, 2470Thou art a fol, it is wel seneUpon thiself: for if thou weneI be a god, thou dost amysTo sitte wher thou sest god is;And if I be a man, alsoThou hast a gret folie do,Whan thou to such on as schal deieThe worschipe of thi god aweieHast yoven so unworthely.Thus mai I prove redely, 2480Thou art noght wys." And thei that herdeHou wysly that the king ansuerde,It was to hem a newe lore;Wherof thei dradden him the more,And broghten nothing to his Ere,Bot if it trouthe and reson were.So be ther manye, in such a wiseThat feignen wordes to be wise,And al is verray flaterieTo him which can it wel aspie. 2490The kinde flatour can noght loveBot forto bringe himself above;For hou that evere his maister fare,So that himself stonde out of care,Him reccheth noght: and thus fulofteDeceived ben with wordes softeThe kinges that ben innocent.Wherof as for chastiementThe wise Philosophre seide,What king that so his tresor leide 2500Upon such folk, he hath the lesse,And yit ne doth he no largesse,Bot harmeth with his oghne hondHimself and ek his oghne lond,And that be many a sondri weie.Wherof if that a man schal seie,As forto speke in general,Wher such thing falleth overalThat eny king himself misreule,The Philosophre upon his reule 2510In special a cause sette,Which is and evere hath be the letteIn governance aboute a kingUpon the meschief of the thing,And that, he seith, is Flaterie.Wherof tofore as in partieWhat vice it is I have declared;For who that hath his wit bewaredUpon a flatour to believe,Whan that he weneth best achieve 2520His goode world, it is most fro.And forto proeven it is soEnsamples ther ben manyon,Of whiche if thou wolt knowen on,It is behovely forto hiereWhat whilom fell in this matiere.Among the kinges in the bibleI finde a tale, and is credible,Of him that whilom Achab hihte,Which hadde al Irahel to rihte; 2530Bot who that couthe glose softeAnd flatre, suche he sette alofteIn gret astat and made hem riche;Bot thei that spieken wordes licheTo trouthe and wolde it noght forbere,For hem was non astat to bere,The court of suche tok non hiede.Til ate laste upon a nede,That Benedab king of SurieOf Irahel a gret partie, 2540Which Ramoth Galaath was hote,Hath sesed; and of that rioteHe tok conseil in sondri wise,Bot noght of hem that weren wise.And natheles upon this casTo strengthen him, for Josaphas,Which thanne was king of Judee,He sende forto come, as heWhich thurgh frendschipe and allianceWas next to him of aqueintance; 2550For Joram Sone of JosaphathAchabbes dowhter wedded hath,Which hihte faire Godelie.And thus cam into SamarieKing Josaphat, and he fond thereThe king Achab: and whan thei wereTogedre spekende of this thing,This Josaphat seith to the king,Hou that he wolde gladly hiereSom trew prophete in this matiere, 2560That he his conseil myhte yiveTo what point that it schal be drive.And in that time so befell,Ther was such on in Irahel,Which sette him al to flaterie,And he was cleped Sedechie;And after him Achab hath sent:And he at his comandementTofore him cam, and be a sleyhteHe hath upon his heved on heyhte 2570Tuo large hornes set of bras,As he which al a flatour was,And goth rampende as a leounAnd caste hise hornes up and doun,And bad men ben of good espeir,For as the hornes percen their,He seith, withoute resistence,So wiste he wel of his scienceThat Benedab is desconfit.Whan Sedechie upon this plit 2580Hath told this tale to his lord,Anon ther were of his acordProphetes false manye moTo bere up oil, and alle thoAffermen that which he hath told,Wherof the king Achab was boldAnd yaf hem yiftes al aboute.But Josaphat was in gret doute,And hield fantosme al that he herde,Preiende Achab, hou so it ferde, 2590If ther were eny other man,The which of prophecie can,To hiere him speke er that thei gon.Quod Achab thanne, "Ther is on,A brothell, which Micheas hihte;Bot he ne comth noght in my sihte,For he hath longe in prison lein.Him liketh nevere yit to seinA goodly word to mi plesance;And natheles at thin instance 2600He schal come oute, and thanne he maySeie as he seide many day;For yit he seide nevere wel."Tho Josaphat began somdelTo gladen him in hope of trouthe,And bad withouten eny sloutheThat men him scholden fette anon.And thei that weren for him gon,Whan that thei comen wher he was,Thei tolden unto Micheas 2610The manere hou that SedechieDeclared hath his prophecie;And therupon thei preie him faireThat he wol seie no contraire,Wherof the king mai be desplesed,For so schal every man ben esed,And he mai helpe himselve also.Micheas upon trouthe thoHis herte sette, and to hem seith,Al that belongeth to his feith 2620And of non other feigned thing,That wol he telle unto his king,Als fer as god hath yove him grace.Thus cam this prophete into placeWher he the kinges wille herde;And he therto anon ansuerde,And seide unto him in this wise:"Mi liege lord, for mi servise,Which trewe hath stonden evere yit,Thou hast me with prisone aquit; 2630Bot for al that I schal noght gloseOf trouthe als fer as I suppose;And as touchende of this bataille,Thou schalt noght of the sothe faile.For if it like thee to hiere,As I am tauht in that matiere,Thou miht it understonde sone;Bot what is afterward to doneAvise thee, for this I sih.I was tofor the throne on hih, 2640Wher al the world me thoghte stod,And there I herde and understodThe vois of god with wordes cliereAxende, and seide in this manere:"In what thing mai I best beguileThe king Achab?" And for a whileUpon this point thei spieken faste.Tho seide a spirit ate laste,"I undertake this emprise."And god him axeth in what wise. 2650"I schal," quod he, "deceive and lyeWith flaterende prophecieIn suche mouthes as he lieveth."And he which alle thing achievethBad him go forth and don riht so.And over this I sih alsoThe noble peple of IrahelDispers as Schep upon an hell,Withoute a kepere unarraied:And as thei wente aboute astraied, 2660I herde a vois unto hem sein,"Goth hom into your hous ayein,Til I for you have betre ordeigned."Quod Sedechie, "Thou hast feignedThis tale in angringe of the king."And in a wraththe upon this thingHe smot Michee upon the cheke;The king him hath rebuked eke,And every man upon him cride:Thus was he schent on every side, 2670Ayein and into prison lad,For so the king himselve bad.The trouthe myhte noght ben herd;Bot afterward as it hath ferd,The dede proveth his entente:Achab to the bataille wente,Wher Benedab for al his ScheldHim slouh, so that upon the feldHis poeple goth aboute astray.Bot god, which alle thinges may, 2680So doth that thei no meschief have;Here king was ded and thei ben save,And hom ayein in goddes pesThei wente, and al was founde lesThat Sedechie hath seid tofore.So sit it wel a king therforeTo loven hem that trouthe mene;For ate laste it wol be seneThat flaterie is nothing worth.Bot nou to mi matiere forth, 2690As forto speken overmoreAfter the Philosophres lore,The thridde point of PolicieI thenke forto specifie.What is a lond wher men ben none?What ben the men whiche are al oneWithoute a kinges governance?What is a king in his ligance,Wher that ther is no lawe in londe?What is to take lawe on honde, 2700Bot if the jugges weren trewe?These olde worldes with the neweWho that wol take in evidence,Ther mai he se thexperience,What thing it is to kepe lawe,Thurgh which the wronges ben withdraweAnd rihtwisnesse stant commended,Wherof the regnes ben amended.For wher the lawe mai comuneThe lordes forth with the commune, 2710Ech hath his propre duete;And ek the kinges realteOf bothe his worschipe underfongeth,To his astat as it belongeth,Which of his hihe worthinesseHath to governe rihtwisnesse,As he which schal the lawe guide.And natheles upon som sideHis pouer stant above the lawe,To yive bothe and to withdrawe 2720The forfet of a mannes lif;But thinges whiche are excessifAyein the lawe, he schal noght doFor love ne for hate also.The myhtes of a king ben grete,Bot yit a worthi king schal leteOf wrong to don, al that he myhte;For he which schal the poeple ryhte,It sit wel to his regalieThat he himself ferst justefie 2730Towardes god in his degre:For his astat is elles freToward alle othre in his persone,Save only to the god al one,Which wol himself a king chastise,Wher that non other mai suffise.So were it good to taken hiedeThat ferst a king his oghne dedeBetwen the vertu and the viceRedresce, and thanne of his justice 2740So sette in evene the balanceTowardes othre in governance,That to the povere and to the richeHise lawes myhten stonde liche,He schal excepte no persone.Bot for he mai noght al him oneIn sondri places do justice,He schal of his real officeWith wys consideracionOrdeigne his deputacion 2750Of suche jugges as ben lerned,So that his poeple be governedBe hem that trewe ben and wise.For if the lawe of covoitiseBe set upon a jugges hond,Wo is the poeple of thilke lond,For wrong mai noght himselven hyde:Bot elles on that other side,If lawe stonde with the riht,The poeple is glad and stant upriht. 2760Wher as the lawe is resonable,The comun poeple stant menable,And if the lawe torne amis,The poeple also mistorned is.And in ensample of this matiereOf Maximin a man mai hiere,Of Rome which was Emperour,That whanne he made a governourBe weie of substitucionOf Province or of region, 2770He wolde ferst enquere his name,And let it openly proclameWhat man he were, or evel or good.And upon that his name stodEnclin to vertu or to vice,So wolde he sette him in office,Or elles putte him al aweie.Thus hield the lawe his rihte weie,Which fond no let of covoitise:The world stod than upon the wise, 2780As be ensample thou myht rede;And hold it in thi mynde, I rede.In a Cronique I finde thus,Hou that Gayus Fabricius,Which whilom was Consul of Rome,Be whom the lawes yede and come,Whan the Sampnites to him broghteA somme of gold, and him besoghteTo don hem favour in the lawe,Toward the gold he gan him drawe, 2790Wherof in alle mennes lokA part up in his hond he tok,Which to his mouth in alle hasteHe putte, it forto smelle and taste,And to his yhe and to his Ere,Bot he ne fond no confort there:And thanne he gan it to despise,And tolde unto hem in this wise:"I not what is with gold to thryve,Whan non of all my wittes fyve 2800Fynt savour ne delit therinne.So is it bot a nyce SinneOf gold to ben to covoitous;Bot he is riche and glorious,Which hath in his subjeccionTho men whiche in possessionBen riche of gold, and be this skile;For he mai aldai whan he wile,Or be hem lieve or be hem lothe,Justice don upon hem bothe." 2810Lo, thus he seide, and with that wordHe threw tofore hem on the bordThe gold out of his hond anon,And seide hem that he wolde non:So that he kepte his liberteTo do justice and equite,Withoute lucre of such richesse.Ther be nou fewe of suche, I gesse;For it was thilke times used,That every jugge was refused 2820Which was noght frend to comun riht;Bot thei that wolden stonde uprihtFor trouthe only to do justicePreferred were in thilke officeTo deme and jugge commun lawe:Which nou, men sein, is al withdrawe.To sette a lawe and kepe it noghtTher is no comun profit soght;Bot above alle nathelesThe lawe, which is mad for pes, 2830Is good to kepe for the beste,For that set alle men in reste.The rihtful Emperour ConradeTo kepe pes such lawe made,That non withinne the citeIn destorbance of uniteDorste ones moeven a matiere.For in his time, as thou myht hiere,What point that was for lawe setIt scholde for no gold be let, 2840To what persone that it were.And this broghte in the comun fere,Why every man the lawe dradde,For ther was non which favour hadde.So as these olde bokes sein,I finde write hou a Romein,Which Consul was of the Pretoire,Whos name was Carmidotoire,He sette a lawe for the pes,That non, bot he be wepneles, 2850Schal come into the conseil hous,And elles as maliciousHe schal ben of the lawe ded.To that statut and to that redAcorden alle it schal be so,For certein cause which was tho:Nou lest what fell therafter sone.This Consul hadde forto done,And was into the feldes ride;And thei him hadden longe abide, 2860That lordes of the conseil were,And for him sende, and he cam thereWith swerd begert, and hath foryete,Til he was in the conseil sete.Was non of hem that made speche,Til he himself it wolde seche,And fond out the defalte himselve;And thanne he seide unto the tuelve,Whiche of the Senat weren wise,"I have deserved the juise, 2870In haste that it were do."And thei him seiden alle no;For wel thei wiste it was no vice,Whan he ne thoghte no malice,Bot onliche of a litel slouthe:And thus thei leften as for routheTo do justice upon his gilt,For that he scholde noght be spilt.And whanne he sih the maner houThei wolde him save, he made avou 2880With manfull herte, and thus he seide,That Rome scholde nevere abreideHis heires, whan he were of dawe,That here Ancestre brak the lawe.Forthi, er that thei weren war,Forth with the same swerd he barThe statut of his lawe he kepte,So that al Rome his deth bewepte.In other place also I rede,Wher that a jugge his oghne dede 2890Ne wol noght venge of lawe broke,The king it hath himselven wroke.The grete king which CambisesWas hote, a jugge lawelesHe fond, and into remembranceHe dede upon him such vengance:Out of his skyn he was beflainAl quyk, and in that wise slain,So that his skyn was schape al meete,And nayled on the same seete 2900Wher that his Sone scholde sitte.Avise him, if he wolde flitteThe lawe for the coveitise,Ther sih he redi his juise.Thus in defalte of other juggeThe king mot otherwhile jugge,To holden up the rihte lawe.And forto speke of tholde dawe,To take ensample of that was tho,I finde a tale write also, 2910Hou that a worthi prince is holdeThe lawes of his lond to holde,Ferst for the hihe goddes sake,And ek for that him is betakeThe poeple forto guide and lede,Which is the charge of his kinghede.In a Cronique I rede thusOf the rihtful Ligurgius,Which of Athenis Prince was,Hou he the lawe in every cas, 2920Wherof he scholde his poeple reule,Hath set upon so good a reule,In al this world that cite nonOf lawe was so wel begonForth with the trouthe of governance.Ther was among hem no distance,Bot every man hath his encress;Ther was withoute werre pes,Withoute envie love stod;Richesse upon the comun good 2930And noght upon the singulerOrdeigned was, and the pouerOf hem that weren in astatWas sauf: wherof upon debatTher stod nothing, so that in resteMihte every man his herte reste.And whan this noble rihtful kingSih hou it ferde of al this thing,Wherof the poeple stod in ese,He, which for evere wolde plese 2940The hihe god, whos thonk he soghte,A wonder thing thanne him bethoghte,And schop if that it myhte be,Hou that his lawe in the citeMihte afterward for evere laste.And therupon his wit he casteWhat thing him were best to feigne,That he his pourpos myhte atteigne.A Parlement and thus he sette,His wisdom wher that he besette 2950In audience of grete and smale,And in this wise he tolde his tale:"God wot, and so ye witen alle,